Sting of Kilpatrick will linger a long while

It is, in many ways, the saga which never ends. But the fact is, the specter of Kwame Kilpatrick just keeps hanging over Detroit.

The latest issue has to do with the fact that the former Mayor used campaign funds for personal use; namely, that his lawyers in the text message scandal were paid out of it. It is a clear violation of state law.

But rather than accept a much smaller fine as proposed last year by then Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, Kilpatrick bid his time and never took the deal. Now, new Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is insisting on a fine of close to a million bucks.

All of this is before the former Mayor must return to Wayne County to face federal charges for public corruption next year. The saga simply has no end in sight; it appears as Detroit will be paying for their old leader's miscues for a long time to come. This cannot help current Mayor Dave Bing or the Common Council move Detroit forward. Indeed, it surely will do the average citizen little good.

The sad fact is that the average citizen is exactly who put Kilpatrick in power in the first place. Hopefully, there will be a lesson learned, even if after years of it being taught: keep a better eye on your elected officials. When Detroiters learn that lesson, they shall indeed better serve themselves.

Our Next Hizzoner?

Well, we native and lifelong Detroiters can now rest easy. Geoffrey Fieger is running for Mayor in the 2013 elections.

That announcement brings warmth to the hearts of us all. Or something akin to that. Warmth, after all, can be brought by from many sources. But let's say that we're all afire with excitement over the thought of Mr. Fieger becoming our next Mayor.

It just about assures the re-election of current Mayor Dave Bing. He ain't exactly Mr. Excitement, as Fieger has said, but the City of Detroit isn't really in a position for much more excitement. Kwame Kilpatrick has just about drained the excitement from us. We need our quiet time.

Detroit has been a laughingstock for long enough. We really don't need your help. Mr. Fieger. We seem to do a good enough job of providing laughs for the rest of the world as it is. Kindly save your jokes for the courtroom.

Dave Bing and Hockey Pucks

Well, I did not have my wishes granted yesterday. Not at all.

In the first place, former basketball star and current businessman Dave Bing was elected mayor of Detroit. As I mentioned in this space about 24 hours ago, I have nothing against the one time Piston, but I am not sure that business success leads to political progress. Indeed my real fear is that it is little more than egotistical: having never held office before, Mr. Bing's running for mayor isn't much more than trying to add window dressing to his life. Still, there's no reason that he could not become a good leader for our city. The late Jack Kemp came off the gridiron and into a solid political career of no small success. Time, as she always does, shall tell.

At least we get Ken Cockrell back as president of the city council as opposed to that idiot Monica Conyers.

On another front, I am thankful that I did not commit the emotional investment of staying up to watch the Detroit Red Wings in their late night playoff game which ended early this morning. They lost, 2-1, when the referee waved off a goal because he meant to blow the play dead. He didn't actually blow the whistle, but he meant to, which in National Hockey League-speak means that he in fact did it. If you aren't going, huh?, at that, then I would have to question your sanity.

NHL refs are the worst, period. I've believed that for years and I stand by it. They will call the most minor contact as interference yet allow violent cross checks all the time. They stink, and quite frankly are part of the reason hockey cannot and will not make the big time in the United States.

So there's my disappointments of the day gone by. Today being, of course, another day, and with no hockey games or mayor's races to concern me, I expect it to be a better one. So long!